USA > Maine > Somerset County > Bingham > Bingham sesquicentennial history, 1812-1962 > Part 9
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T HE WATER SUPPLY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS must have been from natural sources-the river, streams or nearby springs-until such time as wells could be dug. The water from these first wells must have been drawn in the "Old Oaken Bucket". Later pumps were set either outside near the house or in the kitchen close to the sink if the source would allow. Wells were also used near the barn or stable to supply the stock if possible.
Older people have recalled neighborhood pumps set near the street where neighbors might draw or passing people pause and drink. A well and pump near one of the houses on Main Street near the old schoolhouses was a source of water supply for the schools when water was brought in a tin pail and passed around.
Springs sometimes supplied a tub or trough near the highway where the traveler might stop to slack his thirst or water his team.
Tradition has it that the first aqueduct in town was laid in wooden pipes and supplied the hotel. An old deed found among some family papers tells the story. Here is a gist of the deed:
"Know all men that I, Samuel Cummings, of Bingham, County of Somerset and State of Maine, in consideration of the sum of $12.00 paid by Pickard Goodrich, Jotham Goodrich, Chandler Baker, Benja- min Smith, II, William Rowell, and Rev. Sidney Turner, all of Bing- ham, aforesaid, the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, do hereby grant, sell and convey unto said Pickard Goodrich, Jotham S. Goodrich, Chandler Baker, Benjamin Smith, II, William Rowell, and Rev. Sidney Turner, their heirs and assigns certain rights and privileges in and to a spring of water situated in my pasture southwesterly from my house, being the same spring dug out and stoned and from which an Aquaduct was laid by them September, last; to wit: the right and privilege to pass across my land to repair and relay said Aquaduct and repair said spring, and draw water from said spring in sufficient quantity of water to supply the present, or any other Aquaduct which may be laid by them, their heirs, or assigns, provided said spring shall be sufficient water: reserving to myself, however, the right to draw from said spring by a spout laid above the entrance of the spring into the Aquaduct, the surplus water in said spring; not however to interfere with the supply for said Aquaduct."
This deed was signed, sealed and delivered by Samuel R. Cum- mings the 12th day of December, in the year of Our Lord One thou-
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sand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the presence of Joel Colby, and Simeon Goodrich, Justice of Peace.
After some research the people involved were found to be: Samuel Cummings, grandfather of the late Harry Cummings and great, great grandfather of John Gordon who lived on the place now owned by Cecil Lawyerson. The men involved in buying the right to the spring were Pickard Goodrich, grandfather of Mrs. Florence Milliken Owens, who still lives in the home where he lived on Main Street; Jotham Goodrich, a grandson of the first Joshua Goodrich, lived in the hotel or Stage House opposite Pickard's home where the bank now stands; Benjamin Smith, II, who used to be in business here, may have lived at that time in the house that stood next above the hotel where he and his son, Byron Smith, did keep a store; William Rowell, who built and lived at one time in the house where Mr. and Mrs. Robert Moore and Robert's parents and maternal grandparents lived; Chandler Baker lived in the building known as the Old Hotel at the upper part of the town which was destroyed in the fire of 1911; the Rev. Sidney Turner lived in the house now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Harwood. How long this aqueduct served as a supply for those houses is not known.
One on Sidney Goodrich's Side Hill, another on the O'Hara Hill, another on the Owens Farm were used as sources of small privately- owned water systems which served in their day but eventually became inadequate.
In 1895 a group of citizens-Messrs. Henry Washburn, George Clark and James Smith, incorporated the Bingham Water Company to furnish water for domestic and sanitary purposes to the inhabitants of Bingham and to enter into a contract with the town for furnishing fire protection. The source of supply was to be Temple Pond in Moscow. Stock was to be issued to the amount of $50,000. It was chartered by the 1895 legislature as Chapter 122 of P&S Laws. Appar- ently nothing ever came of it.
Again in 1911 The Bingham Water Company was chartered as Chapter 14, with Smith, Cooley, Gordon, Donigan, Brown, Robinson and Goss as the new incorporation with stock at $75,000. This became- void when the legislature of that session chartered the Bingham Water District as Chapter 13 of the P&S Laws. This was accepted by the voters of the town.
BINGHAM WATER DISTRICT
On July 12, 1911, the voters of Bingham met and formed the Bingham Water District, it having become apparent to them that the springs and private water supplies were no longer sufficient for their needs.
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The first trustees appointed were Forrest Colby, Harold I. Goss and Carl Taylor; the Superintendent, a Mr. Gallivan (his pay, $2.00 per day). Late in the year 1911 water was furnished to one hundred customers and to the reservoir built on the hill back of Sam Smith's house from Jackson Pond in Concord at a cost of $40,000.
This continued to serve Bingham residents until 1956. It no longer being a sufficient supply, a gravel-packed well was put down on the Eva Morris property in Concord Plantation at a cost of $60,000. This provides 1,200 gallons a minute of cold, clean, odorless water to 450 customers in Bingham and Concord, and for fire protection. The trus- tees at the time of this installation were Donald R. Folsom, superinten- dent; Robie B. Howes and Steven Mihovan.
- MRS. ALICE DAVIS - MRS. ELIZABETH JORDAN
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The Bridge
I came to my native town, And by the river side went down, Where I had often gone before To have the boatman set me o'er; And there a bridge of ample size To span the river, met my eyes. Entranced, upon the bank I stood; It put me in so pleased a mood, That we should need the boat no more To take us to the other shore. And in the spring and in the fall There now will be no risk at all Of falling in and being drowned, Because the ice is so unsound. If one at night is taken ill And needs a good physician's skill, Who lives upon the other shore, One now will have to wait no more For early beams of morning light, Because unsafe to send by night; Nor need one hear the doctor say, To his great sorrow and dismay, "Had I been here the night before Your child to health I could restore; But now, alas, it is too late And certain death must be its fate." How ills have been endured For want of help secured, To stay the progress of disease And give the suffering patient ease. It was a man from Concord town, A man of honor and renown Who worked so hard to gain this prize, That's so important in our eyes; But he has earned a lasting fame And Edward Vittum is his name. But other men with purpose grand, Have kindly lent a helping hand And should be well remembered too; For lasting honor is their due.
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No greater good was ever done For any place by anyone, Than building this fine bridge so strong That has been needed here so long. I well remember long ago Through water high, through water low, My father and my brother, too, Took people in a light canoe. And thus it was they set them o'er And left them on the other shore. And when they took a ferry boat For horses, it was left to float, And, Oh, how hard it was to row And keep the ferry boat in tow. But now with how much greater ease We'll go and come just when we please; And those who live on Concord side, Will feel a just and honest pride, That now with ease they can repair To God's own house of praise and prayer; To have their hearts with rapture stirred By listening to God's sacred word Proclaimed from pulpit to the pew, A story old, yet ever new.
- CYNTHIA GOODRICH MCQUILKIN
The above poem was written to be read at the one hundredth an- niversary of the organization of the Congregational Church in the summer of 1905, the same summer that the bridge was completed. Mrs. McQuilkin was the daughter of Abijah Goodrich, the boatman referred to in the verses. Her brother, Marshall, was also the boatman at one time. They lived in the house where Walter Garland used to live, now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robie Howes.
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Bingham Fire Department
A S THE RESULT OF a major fire in 1911 that destroyed a tenement house and several business places, the townspeople became more fire conscious. Consequently, a group of local men assembled to dis- cuss the organization of a fire department for the future protection of the town.
At a meeting held on May 14, 1912, Perley Foss was elected chief, having had some experience with a fire department in another town. Leon Goodrich was elected secretary at the same meeting.
The earliest roll call in the record book listed the following names: B. F. Adams, E. E. Andrews, John Bergonzi, J. W. Bowers, John Briggs, Frank Bryant, William Coleman, A. A. Dinsmore, F. L. Fur- bush, Leon Goodrich, Bert Hunnewell, Charles Millett, Howard Moore, W. E. Robinson, Andrew Rollins, Harold Smith, Samuel A. Smith and W. W. Smith.
At that time, the department consisted of two groups known as Hose No. One and Ladder No. One.
That same year (1912) the town purchased a piece of land and a building was erected to house the fire fighting equipment, which consisted of two hand-drawn carts equipped with a pole to which a rope was attached. One cart held the hose and the other held the ladders.
At the Annual Town Meeting in 1914, the town voted to support the volunteer fire department, and the Board of Trade raised the amount of one thousand dollars which was used to purchase the necessary material to finish the upstairs of what has since been known as the Firemen's Hall. Members of the department volunteered their labor and the money was later repaid with funds raised by holding dances and other fund-raising projects.
After a fire, the wet hose was hung in the tower to dry by the aid of a large wood-burning stove that was donated by Will Andrews. This was later replaced by a wood-burning furnace that also heated the upstairs.
In 1915, a hose-reel that held approximately two hundred and fifty feet of hose was added to the equipment.
The first fire truck was purchased in the fall of 1929, and in
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1948 the fire truck which is in use at the present time was purchased. These trucks carry approximately twenty-eight hundred feet of hose, and the latter has a tank that holds five hundred gallons of water, which has proved to be a great asset many times.
A rather humorous incident took place when the 1948 truck was first put in to use. A fireman, thinking he was filling the booster tank, was inadvertently pouring water into the gas tank.
An oil-burning furnace was installed in the Firemen's Hall in 1959, and this year (1962) the building has been insulated, the interior repaired and painted, greatly improving its appearance.
The first major fire after the department was organized occurred at 4:05 A. M. on August 19, 1912, when a stable belonging to Dr. Philip Woods burned to the ground. This was located in the rear of where the Library now stands.
Other fires of note:
In 1913 fire destroyed the American Shoe Fnding Company's plant, one of the town's major industries.
In 1923 the last block mill burned, threatening the lower end of the town. Probably the coldest fire fighting experienced was when what was known as the "Farmers Union" store burned in the winter of 1925 when the temperature stood at forty degrees below zero. It was located where the White Cash Market now stands.
On Christmas Eve, 1926, the V. I. Pierce clothing store and upstairs tenements were severely damaged by fire and water. Disaster struck this same business block again in 1930 when a fire destroyed a three-story building known as "The Bee-Hive", and a building oc- cupied by the Central Maine Power Company as an office and display room located in the same block.
Several thoroughbred riding horses were lost when fire, believed to be of incendiary origin, leveled the stables of the Dutton House in 1929.
One of the town's main garages and a barn were destroyed in 1934, and in May of that same year the Hotel Cahill was wiped out by fire.
In 1937 a building known as the "Hunnewell Block," housing Hunnewell's store and restaurant, with rooms upstairs and attached to the E. W. Moore and Son drugstore, was badly damaged, but through the efforts of the fire department the blaze was brought under control.
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This is where the Sportsmen's Restaurant, the A&P market, and drugstore are now located.
On June 9, 1946, a sixteen-year old girl succumbed to smoke inhalation suffered when the house-trailer in which she was sleeping caught fire in the night.
On a cold morning in December, 1951, with a thirty-degree below zero temperature, a fire destroyed six automobiles, and narrowly missed trapping five employees of the Hollingsworth & Whitney Company as their equipment shed in the center of town was gutted. This build- ing was once known as Robie Howes' Garage.
The most tragic fire occurred in the early morning hours of March 23, 1952, when the Dutton Hotel was destroyed. Three per- sons lost their lives, and another succumbed later in a hospital from burns suffered in the blaze.
The most recent tragic fire, also an early morning blaze, took place last December (1961). A forty-year-old father of three perished when his newly completed home, located on the Solon road, burned to the ground.
Through the years the town has been plagued by a few false alarms, many chimney fires, and fires that, by the quick thinking and fine cooperation of the firemen, were quickly checked and brought under control.
Three secretaries have kept the books of the department for the fifty years of its existence. Leon Goodrich, previously mentioned, served for the first three years. He was succeeded by Urban Bean, and in March, 1919, the present secretary, Lee Smith, was elected, and to date is serving his forty-fourth consecutive year.
Several men have acted as chief. Perley Foss, first chief of the department in 1912, followed by Howard Russell, W. J. Estabrook, John McCollor, John Hughes, and Steve Clark. The present chief, Clayton E. Andrews, was elected in March, 1933, this being his thirtieth consecutive year as chief of the department.
- MRS. ALICE ANDREWS
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Bingham Centennial
THE BINGHAM CENTENNIAL and Old Home Week began Tuesday, August 13, 1912, and closed Sunday, August 18th, when a union service of worship was held in the Congregational Church. The chair- men of the several committees were: A. S. Burke, H. I. Goss, F. H. Colby, A. F. Donigan, W. E. Robinson, E. W. Moore, Reverend T. B. Hatt, and A. C. Dinsmore. These men, several of whom became widely known throughout the State, are now at rest from their notable labors.
The Centennial began with the street parade, an oration by Professor L. C. Bateman of Lewiston, and an address by Superin- tendent of Schools, Charles E. Ball. There were also literary and musical events and a grand ball in the evening. Some newspaper writer, unknown to us, did himself proudly with the account of Tuesday. "And now," he wrote, "it is the turn of Bingham to cele- brate and the people of that good old town are doing it in royal style." He reported that the festivities would last four days, but the chief events had been observed Tuesday. "The street parade," he wrote, "the historical address, the oration, and a dozen other features have made this day one that will long be remembered and recalled in the annals of the town. The musical features and the sports have all been the best of their kind and a great crowd of people have been instructed and entertained. From all over the country, men and women who own the town as their birthplace have hastened to do it honor and many have taken part in the program."
"The great civic and historical parade started a few minutes after eleven o'clock ... Every civic and secret society in the town was represented and even the ancients and horribles were there . . . For fully a half mile the procession stretched its way, and the marching was done to the time and tunes of Towne's band of eighteen pieces. The sidewalks were lined with people ... This feature occupied a full hour in making the rounds of the village." Then the fire depart- ment exhibited new equipment. After all that, came a dinner by expert cooks.
In the afternoon, the Centennial exercises were held in Kennebec Hall. E. W. Moore, of good memory, called the meeting to order about two o'clock. A. S. Burke made an address of welcome, after an invocation prayer by Reverend Thomas Hatt. "Mr. Burke," wrote the reporter, "spoke in graceful terms of the hardships and privations of the pioneers whose virtues they were celebrating . . . To one and all he extended a hearty welcome and Godspeed in every endeavor." There was applause.
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There was a Centennial poem by Earle E. Andrews which was "well received." The newspaper printed that poem in full. Deacon Sidney Turner Goodrich gave the historical address. The reporter wrote that this address was ably handled, and he included all of it. in his account. It began, "Fellow Townspeople and Friends all: Go back with me in your minds, if you will, to one hundred years ago." And the careful, honest, proud address of a Bingham citizen went on to conclude, "But my friends, Bingham has a future, and what that future will be depends largely upon the fathers and mothers of today; act well your part in that history so when your posterity shall meet to celebrate a centennial one hundred years hence they shall have. reason to call you blessed."
And soon that satisfactory first day had passed. One report tells. us that the prize for the best float in the parade was awarded Mark Savage Company; that the Ladies Century Club had arranged a fine float with characters dressed in century-old garb, but the party that agreed to furnish the horses refused at the last moment, causing a great disappointment. Another disappointing incident was the shower while the parade was being formed, injuring several floats and ruin- ing the beauty of the splendid Grange float.
August 14th was the day for sports. The famous Somerset Guide's. Association had agreed to hold their annual field day at Bingham. The old-time masters of axe, fly rod, rifle, and canoes were there. It was a great day.
Thursday, August 15th, the Sugartown Association entertained with one of their "celebrated picnics filled with pleasure and good fellowship."
Friday, August 16th, the members of the Baker-Goodrich Society invited all visitors and townsmen to their annual picnic with exercises of literary and musical entertainment. Ralph Goodrich, son of Deacon Sidney, and a great-great-grandson of Captain Joshua Goodrich and great-grandson of Ruben Baker, was president of the society that year. They gathered at the Pine Grounds, Bingham Heights. Baker's orches -. tra was tunefully there. Merton T. Goodrich was historian. Mrs. Florence M. Owens read her poem. Here is the second verse:
"Hills upon hills stretching far and wide, A beautiful river flowing between; Peaceful and low on its eastern side, The little hamlet of Bingham is seen."
And then, after four days of joyful celebration and reunion, Sunday was set aside for a quiet union service of worship at the- Congregational Church.
- ARTHUR R. MACDOUGALL
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